Saving Grace
by lunalocket32
Summary: The Doctor, in all his infinite wisdoms, doesn't see what he has until he's almost lost it. Rose knows something is up with the Doctor but can she find out what it is before it's too late? (This is my first fanfic and as you can tell, I'm bad at summaries. Don't hesitate to read and leave a review (also, more chapters to come later) Thanks :)
1. Chapter 1: Canary Wharf

Chapter 1

The Doctor handed Rose a Magnaclamp and gave her a _look_. A look that said he wanted to tell her something but he didn't want to risk it if something went wrong.

"Doctor?" Rose asked with a confused expression. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing's wrong… I just…" the Doctor trailed off. "I…I wanted you to know that I… I-"

There was a loud crash to their left but it sounded far off. Rose turned to look at the security monitor to see what had caused the noise. The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't press him to admit what he was really feeling but the relief died quickly as he heard the noise again, closer this time though.

"We've got Cybermen on the way up." Rose called from across the room.

"What floor are they on?" The Doctor asked as he started the process that would suck the Daleks and Cybermen into the void. "Rose?" He glanced at her and he noticed she was staring out the window. He followed her gaze and saw the Daleks growing in number as the thing they called the Genesis Arc opened and spouted out Daleks.

"It's a prison ship! That's what the Daleks meant!" The Doctor ran his hands through his hair in a frustrated motion. He cursed in Gallifreyian as the Daleks began to fly both towards the windows and out towards the rest of the city. They were still a ways off but they would be here soon enough.

"What do you mean it's a prison ship?" Rose asked with a worried expression on her face.

"During the Time War, the Daleks that didn't die in battle were captured and put in prison ships by the Time Lords. Not all of them, apparently because there were still some around to orchestrate this whole thing. I never saw a prison ship in person but if I know anything, it's that Time Lord technology is _always _bigger on the inside. Which means…there are thousands if not millions of them in there. This is not good...so not good." He shouted the last part.

"Systems operational." A computerized voice abruptly announced. The Doctor looked around with a wild grin for a moment but finally his gaze landed on Rose, who was still looking out the windows.

"Rose!" She looked up at him, startled by his yelling. "We can stop them!"

"They're coming and we need to turn the machines on, so you might want to go to the lever on your side of the room now." He told her in his normal tone of voice, but he still sounded both extremely excited and horribly worried.

She ran over to the lever and pushed it towards the on position. Before she knew it, there was a strong wind at her back and she struggled to get over to the Magnaclamp. She had to fight to stay put. The void wanted to suck them in too just because they had had visited that parallel world. She looked over at the Doctor to see him grinning at her like a madman.

Suddenly, the door to the room burst open and the Cybermen they heard earlier marched in. Then the rift opened and everything went to hell.

The Cybermen started to walk forward but before they could do anything else the rift began to suck them into the void. The Daleks were pulled in through the window, but on the way into the void, one of the Daleks hit the lever on Rose's side.

The computer voice they heard earlier said "System offline." The Doctor knew what was going to happen before Rose even began to move towards the lever.

"No, Rose! Rose, DON'T!" The Doctor yelled to Rose as she tried to reach the lever.

"I have to Doctor! The rift is starting to close!" she shouted. She looked at the Doctor, almost apologetically. She tried to reach the lever again, only this time her grip on the Magnaclamp slipped and she was pulled closer to the void.

" ROSE!" The Doctor shouted as she screamed. She managed to grasp the lever just in time though and she pushed it back to the on position. Once more, the Daleks and Cybermen were being pulled into the void, but that also meant the pull was stronger. Rose was lifted into the air and she was hanging onto the lever bar with all her might.

"Whatever happens, I just want you to know that you are the best thing that ever happened to me, Rose Tyler. You got under my skin and changed me. I can never thank you enough for that. You were my saving grace." The Doctor's voice trembled with the weight of his words. Rose looked at him and reflected in her eyes, he could see she felt that too.

Rose gasped as she felt her fingers slipping. She tried to get a better hold, but it was hopeless. She shot a panicked glance at the Doctor but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking towards the rift, which she couldn't see because her feet were pointed towards it. He looked towards her again and he smiled.

"Rose, do you trust me?"

"With my life." She said without hesitation.

"Then I need you to let go." The Doctor said. Rose looked at him in surprise. Those were the last words she expected to hear, but if she was being totally honest, she had come to expect the unexpected from him. After all, she did trust him with her life and that was saying something because he was just as jeopardy-friendly as she was. She looked at him and gave him one last smile. Then, she let go.


	2. Chapter 2: The TARDIS

Chapter 2

She didn't scream as she let go, but she kept her eyes on the Doctor as best she could. The Daleks and Cybermen were whizzing by her and they made her vision of the Doctor cut in and out. The fall into the void didn't come, however. She slammed into something hard, and the last thing she saw before she blacked out was the Doctor falling to the floor as the last creature was sucked in and the rift closed.

"Rose… Rose…" She heard someone calling her but it was fading in and out. She heard whomever it was sigh, like they were impatient but she knew better. It was the Doctor, just wanting to know if she was alright. She twitched her fingers and he gasped in surprise.

"Rose, please wake up. I'm very impatient." The Doctor pleaded. Her eyelids fluttered open and the first thing she saw was the ceiling of the Tardis. She realized she was lying in a bed, which was weird because they were not in her room. Then she looked over towards him. She saw him pinching the bridge of his nose so he hadn't noticed she was awake yet. She placed a hand on his cheek and he looked up in surprise.

"Hello there." He said with a grin.

"Hello to you too." She said happily. She glanced around the unfamiliar room, a confused look on her face. "Where are we? What happened and also, why the HELL does everything hurt!?" He was surprised by her vehemence, but she had a valid point. The Doctor sighed and he began answering her questions.

"First of all, we're in the Medical Bay of the Tardis. I really should have shown you this when you first started travelling with me." He fiddled with the pillow on the bed and she could tell it was a nervous gesture.

"Secondly, all of the Daleks and Cybermen were sucked into the void. We beat them." A triumphant grin crossed his features before he continued. "As for why everything hurts, you can thank the Tardis for that. I'm not sure how, but as soon as you started to fall into the void, the Tardis materialized. I don't know why she wasn't sucked into the void but after you let go, you crashed into the Tardis wall and blacked out. Hence why we're here."

Rose groaned and then she started to giggle. The Doctor looked at her and she could tell he was thinking about the possibility she might have a concussion.

"I know that look, Doctor. I'm not crazy and I don't think I hit my head either, so no concussion." She scolded him. "I was just thinking about how incredibly lucky we were." She sobered as she realized exactly lucky they were. "If it wasn't for the Tardis…"She trailed off, not wanting to finish the devastating sentence.

"Hey. It's okay. Lets just be glad it didn't happen. " The Doctor said as he pulled her into a hug. He held her tight as she nestled into his jacket. She had never felt more at home before in her life.

Rose didn't know she was crying until she felt the wetness on her face and the shaking of her shoulders. She wasn't crying because she was hurt. She was crying because she had just lost her family to the parallel world and the universe had tried to rip the Doctor away from her as well. If she had fallen into the void…she would have been alone. That was a fate worse then death to her. In fact, death would have been a gift compared to the lonely darkness that is the void.

The Doctor reached down to cup her chin and tugged on her face gently so she was looking at him. He looked into her eyes and saw the pain and the loss that took up residence but he could also see the hope that lingered there. The hope that one day, she might be able to see them again, to say one last goodbye.

Rose knew that she might never see them again and it hurt him. It was his fault she would never see them again. If he hadn't asked her to travel with him in the Tardis, she wouldn't be alone. She would have her family and that killed him.

"Stop it." Rose said quietly, pulling him from his thoughts. "I know you well enough to know that your punishing yourself for all of my pain." Her voice shook but she continued, knowing it needed to be said or he would blame himself. She didn't want him to blame himself for something he had no control over.

"I wanted to be here with you. Even after you tried to send me away on the Gamestation, I came back to be with you. Hell, I took in the _Time Vortex_ to be with you. The thing is, you can send me away as many times as you like, but it won't matter. I will always come back. You may have asked me to travel with you, but I was the one that said yes. I'm so glad you came back twice. Traveling with you…It's so special and I will always love it." She wasn't nearly finished but the Doctor had other ideas.

"Rose…all of it is my fault." He choked out. "If I hadn't come back after the first time I asked you…" The Doctor trailed off, looking at her with a depressed expression. "All I'm saying is that it wasn't my right to even ask. I was being selfish and for that, I'm so sorry." He wanted her to be happy, more than anything he could want for himself.

"Doctor…you have to stop blaming yourself. For all we know, it was meant to happen. This is going to sound so cliché but maybe the universe works in mysterious ways after all. And besides, you wanted me to see the universe in its infinite ways. That wasn't being selfish. That was being thoughtful." She desperately wanted for him to see it wasn't his fault.

"I don't blame you for a single second of it and I never will. I chose to be here, might I add, and I don't care if you don't believe me. I'm just going to have to prove it to you every day by staying right where I am. And just for the record, I would do it all over again if it meant they were safe. If you do blame yourself, which I know you do, then just know, I forgive you. However you're not at fault so it doesn't matter." Rose finished with a flash of determination. She would prove to him that all of it, the pain, the constant danger, the varying emotions she felt, was worth it if her family was safe and she was in her rightful place with him.

The Doctor let her forgiveness wash over him and he finally understood why he needed her so much. She saw the good in him, even when the good was outweighed by the bad. She was the bright lantern that wandered through the dark forest that was his life. Rose was the pink and yellow human that held the key to his hearts. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen her coming. But then again, all the best things sneak up on you before you know it.


	3. Chapter 3: Living a New Life

Chapter 3

The Doctor took Rose's hand and helped her off the bed. She was more stiff than anything. Nothing seemed to be broken, which was surprising considering how hard she had knocked into the wall of the Tardis. She stumbled a bit, but the Doctor caught her before she could fall. He eased her back into a sitting position on the bed.

"Easy there. You were unconscious for several hours. Hang on a second though, because I can fix that." He gave her a small smile as he reached for his Sonic. He pulled it out and used the different settings to get rid of the slight achiness and dizziness she was feeling.

The Doctor helped her stand once more and she followed him to the console room where he was running diagnostics on the Tardis. He still had one of Rose's hand in his.

"Doctor?" Rose asked.

"Hmm…what?" The Doctor said, glancing at Rose.

"You've still got my hand." Rose felt like she was pointing out the obvious and apparently she was because the Doctor looked at her funny.

"Is that a problem?' He asked, squeezing it.

"No, not really. It's just that I want to go wash my face." She said, squeezing his hand right back.

"Oh, yeah. I suppose I should let go now, shouldn't I?" He looked down at it reluctantly but let go of her hand eventually. She gave him a tiny half smile and she walked off down the corridor to her bedroom, glancing back at him the whole way. As she walked, she wondered what all of that was about. When she reached her room, she went to the sink in the bathroom.

Rose scrubbed the dried tear tracks off of her face and looked at the girl who remained. She was basically an orphan. Her mom had left for the parallel world with her parallel dad, Pete. Her dad from this world was already dead. He died when she was 6 months old. She didn't even really have any friends left because Mickey, her best mate, decided to stay in the parallel world to work at Torchwood.

There was always Shareen but Rose hadn't spoken to or seen her in a long time. Besides, she didn't know anything about Rose's life the past few years. Shareen couldn't possibly begin to understand the things Rose had gone through to stay with the one person she loved most. Rose didn't really have anyone but the Doctor and she realized that was okay.

Rose dried her face and went to go find him. She didn't want to be left alone to think anymore. It was too painful. The loss of her family was staggering. She only hoped she could see them one last time so she could let them know she was okay, that it wasn't for nothing. She wanted them to know that she could never be happy living the same old life she was living before she had met him. Rose needed them to understand that while it hurt to never be able to see them again, it would have killed her if she had stayed with them. She couldn't live without her Doctor.


	4. Chapter 4: Runaway Trains

Chapter 4

She found him in the console room, tinkering with the Tardis, as per usual. She stood there watching him work for the longest time. It was actually quite fascinating to watch him. He found the greatest joy in the circuitry of the Tardis. The Doctor loved finding out new things about her.

It was only when the Tardis shocked him that he looked up to see her watching him.

"How long have you been standing there?" The Doctor asked as he stood up. Rose walked out from under the doorway and sat in the jump seat. "Not long, but just long enough to finally see how much you love messing with the Tardis, which, by the way, is why she shocked you." Rose laughed as his eyebrows shot up. "You should know that by now, Doctor." She chided him with a smile on her face.

The Doctor looked at her with mock hurt on his face. "I'll have you know that I'm the reason this ship even flies. I'm the only one that knows how to fly it."

Rose just laughed even harder at that. It was such a lovely sound. The Doctor wished he could hear it for the rest of his life. Her laughter was beautiful and so was she. Rose looked up at him like she suddenly remembered something.

"Doctor, just before the Cybermen came into the room, you were trying to tell me something…What were you going to say?" Rose asked, anxiety etched on her lovely face.

"Umm…I um…I forgot?" The Doctor stuttered. Rose looked him dead in the eye and he knew she was not going to let it go this time. There was no reason to this time around.

"Doctor, if you know what's good for you, then you will tell me what you were going to say. Don't run away. Please tell me or I'll have to get the Tardis to help me, and trust me when I say, the Tardis is on my side for this one." She grinned and suddenly, all the doors in the room disappeared, even the doors to outside of the Tardis disappeared.

The Doctor sighed as he realized Rose was right. The Tardis was on her side, which was not surprising. The Tardis tended to get a little pushy when it came to Rose. For instance, when he sent Rose and the Tardis back to Rose's original time, the Tardis allowed her to open the hatch and look into the Time Vortex. Granted, Rose had to open it with a truck and a chain, but even that should not have worked. The hatch never should have opened. The Tardis must have gotten attached to Rose, which might have been a good thing at the time, because the Daleks almost killed him once and for all. The only thing that had stopped them was his Bad Wolf.

"Well, since we seem to be stuck in here until we talk, then I may as well tell you how I feel." Rose said. She twirled her hair around and the Doctor knew she was only doing it because she was nervous. "I know you believe that you're not worthy of any kind of love, Doctor, but you need to get it through your thick skull that all of the good things, the selfless things, that you have done for other people, outweigh any bad you have done or could ever do. I believe that the bad things define you just as much as the good things, but not in a bad way. Yes, you've made some bad choices but that doesn't make you a bad person."

Rose stood up and walked closer to him. She placed her hands on his chest were his hearts were. "I love all of the goodness that comes from here… and here." She said as she placed a hand on the side of his face, to point out his brain. He leaned into her touch and she smiled. "You're the most considerate and the most amazing person I know. You may not believe me when I say, but you're the best thing that could ever happen to me and… I love you." Rose looked up at him as she said what she'd been wanting to say for the longest time. She smiled tentatively at him but his answering grin was all she needed to know he felt the same way.

"Rose Tyler, you are the most brilliant, the most sincere, and the most amazing pink and yellow human anyone could ever ask for. You, for some unfathomable reason, don't care about all of the bad things I've done and that in itself is an achievement. My past and my present is like a runaway train. I never know when it's going to catch up to me, but it doesn't matter cause it looks like I've found my conductor." He gazed at her with a twinkle in his eye that he found in hers as well. Rose's eyes were hazel wells that seemed to go on forever. He continued, not wanting to leave her hanging. "I never thought that I would find somebody who loves me regardless of the things I've done. Back at Torchwood 1, I was trying to tell you how I felt in case something...in case something went wrong but then the Cybermen and the Daleks interrupted us and I had to push it all aside." The Doctor shook his head angrily at the thought. He wondered why his oldest enemies were never truly defeated. He looked at Rose and found her watching him closely.

"Tell me how you feel." Rose said quietly, trying to get his mind off of the Daleks and Cybermen.

"I love you, Rose. More than anything in the universe. You're my saving grace, remember?" The Doctor finally said.

His arms wound around Rose's waist and he pulled her face up to his. He looked deeply into her eyes, asking for permission. He really didn't need it.

Before she knew it, he was kissing her with a passion she had never felt before. It was like her whole existence revolved around this moment. She pushed all thoughts from her mind and focused everything she had on him. By the time the kiss ended, she was breathless. The Doctor pulled her closer and rested his forehead against hers.

Rose knew he needed that. Out of everything she was feeling in the moments leading up to the kiss, the strongest was concern for him and how he was dealing with the events of the day. The Doctor wrapped her in a hug which she returned gratefully. After all of the revelations and occurrences of that day, she relished the fact that she was in his arms, where she belonged.


	5. Chapter 5: Goodbyes

**Author's Note: Hi guys :D just wanted to say thanks for reading my story and although I haven't gotten any reviews, they are still welcome. Also, this next chapter turned out quite long, so sorry to those of you who don't like long chapters. I really love writing these chapters. **

**Standard disclaimer (I don't own Doctor Who and I don't gain anything from publishing these chapters/stories.)**

Chapter 5

Rose stayed in his arms for a long time, pulling back every now and then to alternate between kissing him and just looking at him. The Doctor was content to just stand there and look at her but there were things that needed doing and problems that needed solving. He kissed Rose lightly on her forehead and pulled away. She smiled at him as he walked towards the console and began working on some calculations.

"I'll be in the kitchen, Doctor." Rose called as she started to walk out the doorway.

"That's fine. If you get bored, you know where to find me." The Doctor said without looking up from his work. He didn't know if what he was attempting was even possible, but he knew he had to try. He had to keep his promise to Rose.

Quite sometime had passed since Rose had wandered into the kitchen. The Tardis seemed to know what she  
had wanted before she did. A plate of chips and a pint of ice cream was ready for her when she went up to the food dispenser on the wall. She sighed as she dipped her chips into her ice cream. It was her favorite combination, and just what she needed; comfort food.

Rose got up from the island counter and walked over to the cupboard. As she reached up for a mug for her tea, she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her waist. She chuckled lightly but then gasped as she felt the Doctor's lips against her neck. Shivers raced down Rose's spine and she spun around in his arms to see a bright grin on his face.

"Not that I mind, but where is all this coming from? Why are you so happy?" Rose asked him, several questions running through her head.

"Well, I am a genius that's why!" The Doctor cried cheerfully. "We have to go somewhere first, though." He said, quieter this time.

"Doctor?" Rose asked hesitantly.

The Doctor looked deeply into her eyes before continuing. "I made you a promise, Rose. I may not have said it aloud, but I vowed to find a way for you to see your family again. I found that way just now. The calculations I compiled just confirmed what I thought could work. You can see them again, Rose."

…...

"_Mum…_"

Jackie Tyler sat bolt upright and gasped. She got out of bed and ran down the stairs to find Pete, who was still working in his office.

"Pete, I had a dream about Rose! She was calling out to me. You'd better call Mickey over here so he can hear the instructions she gave me." Jackie said excitedly, but with a hint of trepidation.

After Mickey got to the mansion, Jackie began to relay the instructions that told them where to go. Then, they packed some stuff into bags and left before the dawn sun could even hint at rising. They drove throughout the night and into the early hours of morning, down a long, winding, country road.

Jackie, Mickey, and Pete finally arrived at a bleak, deserted beach where the water was grey and the beach was more mud than sand.

They walked towards the middle of the beach and waited. When Rose finally did appear, Jackie, Pete, and Mickey were facing the wrong direction.

"Mum!" Rose cried, surprising everyone on the beach. They all turned, Jackie, the slowest of them all. They all gasped at when they saw Rose, standing on the beach.

"Where are you?" Jackie asked, tears pricking her eyes.

"Inside the Tardis. There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, just about to close. And it takes a lot of power to send this projection, we're in orbit around a super nova." Rose laughs softly. "The Doctor is burning up a sun just so I can say goodbye."

The tears in Jackie's eyes threatened to spill over so she didn't speak for a several seconds. She didn't want to lose it. She knew she needed to be strong for her daughter.

"You look like a ghost." Mickey said, taking the opportunity to talk to her, even though he knew this goodbye belonged to Jackie. Rose looked away from the picture and they heard the Doctor's voice behind them.

"Hold on…" he said as he came into the picture, pointing his Sonic at what they assumed was the console. He and Rose suddenly became more solid.

"Can I tou-?" Jackie said, reaching a hand out to touch Rose's arm.

"We're just an image, mum. A projection of our actual selves." Rose said regretfully. Now there were tears in her eyes too.

"Can't you come through properly?" Jackie's voice trembled as she spoke.

"No…I'm sorry. The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse." The Doctor said, as Rose blinked rapidly to hold the tears at bay for a little longer.

"So?" Jackie asked, half jokingly. Pete took her hand at the heartbreak he could hear in her voice.

Rose looked around at their surroundings for a moment.

"Where are we? Where did the gap come out?" Rose asked, trying to get everyone's mind off of things. Pete was the first to respond.

"We're in Norway." Pete told her.

"Norway…right." The Doctor mused. Rose looked at him and saw sadness there. He was blaming himself again. She would have to remedy that soon.

"We're about fifty mile out of Bergen. It's a place called 'Dårlig Ulv Stranden". Pete continued, earning a surprised look from both Rose and the Doctor.

"Dalek!?" Rose and the Doctor cried in unison . They looked at each other, panic evident on Rose's face.

"Dårl-IG. It's Norwegian for 'bad'. This place literally translates to 'Bad Wolf Bay". Pete says, easing their fears. Rose and the Doctor shared a secret smile that everyone was relatively curious about, but couldn't really care too much about during that moment. Suddenly, Jackie looked up as she realized something.

"This connection, it can't last forever, can it? How long have we got left?" The tears were once again threatening to spill over. Rose looked at the Doctor, not trusting herself to speak.

"About 2 minutes." He said softly. Jackie started crying then. She couldn't hold it in anymore. It broke his heart, because he knew that Rose seeing her mother like this was causing her so much pain and anguish.

"I can't think of what to say!" Jackie laughing through her tears at the absurdity of the moment. Tears were running down both her and Rose's face. They just couldn't deal with it. Time was running out and neither of them could push it away anymore.

"Well, at least all of you are here to say goodbye, even if you can't say it aloud. That's what counts." Rose said, leaning her head against the Doctor's shoulder miserably.

"There's four of us now. Me, Pete, Mickey and…the baby." Jackie said quietly.

"Really?" Rose asked in surprise.

"Yep." Jackie said, popping the _p._ 'So that's where Rose gets it' The Doctor thought to himself. "I'm three months gone. More Tyler's on the way, although this little one, and any others that might come after, whether they be boy or girl, could never replace you, Rose. I'm going to tell them about their amazing big sister, the one who went out in all of space and time, and saved it. Several times. I'll even tell them about how you blew up Downing Street." Jackie said, sorrow leaking into her voice as she thought about the fact that Rose would never know her brothers or sisters.

Rose turned to Mickey. She looked at her best mate, and her best mate looked back at her. She couldn't believe this is how things came out in the end.

"So what about you? What are working on in the parallel world?" Rose asked, still looking at him.

"Well, the Torchwood in this word is still open for business. I think I know a thing or two about aliens." Mickey joked. The situation could not have been more ironic if it had tried.

"Good for you, Mickey the Idiot. Defender of the Earth. It suits you." The Doctor said. After a moment he looked at Jackie, and then back at Mickey, and finally at Rose.

"Your all dead. Officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing. Your on the list of the dead." The Doctor said regret in his eyes.

Fresh tears began to fall down Rose's face. The Doctor hugged her from behind, trying to comfort her. Rose turned into him and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips much to the surprise of everyone else.

"It's about time, you two! Everyone was waiting for that." Jackie said, not surprised at all. Rose looked between her mother and the Doctor sheepishly. It may have been obvious to everyone else but apparently not to her and the Doctor.

"Rose" Jackie said, the ache of not having her only daughter with her deepening. "Am I ever gonna see you again?" Her voice catching at the end.

"You can't". Rose sobbed, leaning into the Doctor for support.

"So what are you guys going to do?" Jackie asked after a moment, her voice higher than it had been before, like she was trying to be strong.

"What we always do, mum. Go around helpin' people and saving the world a time or two." She smiled knowingly at the Doctor.

"I love you, Rose. So much. And you, spaceman! You'd better take care of my girl or I will find a way across dimensions just to slap you if you EVER hurt her." Jackie said violently, her tears stopping as she steeled herself for the coming moments. Their time was up.

Rose started sobbing. "Pete, you may not be my dad, but your definitely the one person I can rely on to keep my mother from doing anything reckless. Thanks for being there for her.

Mickey, you've always been there for me. I hope you can find someone to be there for you. You deserve to be happy." Rose looked to her mother, the last person on any world she wanted to say goodbye to.

"Mum, I love you so much. I didn't want to have to say goodbye, but now that there is no other choice, I guess I should. Now that it's all said and done, I realized no one could have given me a better life than you have. We may not have had all of the finer things in life, but we did have the most important. Love, and love is all we needed. I want you to tell my brothers and/or sisters something for me. Can you do that?" Rose asked, imploring her mother to do as she wished.

"Of course, Rose. Anything." Jackie said, confusion sweeping across her features.

"Tell them their big sister said that they have the best mum and dad in all the worlds." Rose said cheekily. Jackie laughed at that, confident that Rose was right.

"I guess this is it then." The Doctor said sadly. "It's starting to close."

"I love all of you." Rose said as she and the Doctor faded away. Jackie sobbed and sank down to the ground when they disappeared. She rocked back and forth on her heels and Pete just held her. Mickey stood there, tears in his eyes thinking about what Rose said. He would do that. He would be happy, for her.

…...

Rose turned to the Doctor as she cried for all of the people she left on that godforsaken beach. He pulled her into his chest and just held her as she let it all out.

"It's not fair, Doctor! I worked so hard to hold on to you. Is it so unthinkable to want to have all of you in my life?" She said angrily. "The universe is so cruel."

"No, Rose. That's just a side effect of being with me." The Doctor said quietly. Rose looked up at him, a very angry expression on her face. She pulled out of his arms and walked over to the rails of the ramp, her back facing him. Suddenly, she whirled around to face him.

"Will you stop blaming yourself!" She shouted at him. He was surprised, to say the least. He couldn't understand why she wasn't mad at him. He ruined her life.

"How can I not?" the Doctor looked at her and frowned.

"IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT! How many times do I have to tell you that. It's just something that happened. Your so thick sometimes. I can't-" She stopped to catch her breath. Her chest was heaving and she was overtaken with sobs and she slid down to the ground against the wall. She put her head in her hands and stayed quiet for a long time. She finally looked up at him as her breathing slowed to it's normal rate.

"If you keep blaming yourself for this, then there is no guarantee I'll keep forgiving you." She said, staring up at him. The Doctor walked over to her and kneeled next to her. He grabbed her hands with the intention of pulling her up, but she had other ideas. Rose pulled him down so he was sitting next to her. She decided that wasn't what she wanted though. Rose scooted forwards and laid down with her head in the Doctor's lap.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I know I shouldn't be feeling this way but I do. If you really want me too, I can try to get over it and assign blame where blame is due. Mainly towards the Daleks and Cybermen." The Doctor apologized. Rose sighed and looked up at him.

"Yes, Doctor. I want you to try to get over it. It's not and never will be your fault. As for the Daleks and Cybermen, yes they caused it, but I don't really blame them either. They were just trying to survive, although taking over the world doesn't really count as trying to survive." Rose considered this. "It's not really anybody's _fault_ per say. It's just a horrible occurrence in a strange universe." The Doctor leaned down towards Rose's head to brush a few stray locks of hair out of her face and to gaze into her eyes.

"Well said, Rose. Thank you for that." The Doctor whispered in her ear after a few minutes.

They sat in a comfortable silence. Rose, messing with the shoelaces on the Doctor's trainers and the Doctor, playing with her hair, twirling it around his fingers. Things were as they should be between them again.

**Author's Note: Guys! DONNA! I love Donna SO SO SO much. She is my favorite companion, besides Rose of course :D**


	6. Chapter 6: The Stranger

**Author's Note: I have taken into further consideration your reviews from a while ago, and as I am going to updating within the next few days, I decided to put in a little bit of information about Rose's dream into this chapter. It was really starting to bug me, so I went back and fixed it. I am currently working on chapters 11, 12, and 13. I will definitely be putting 11 up tonight so 12 and 13 should be following soon. By the way, I don't plan these out, so while I come up with it as I go along, I often backtrack and change things, thus making the writing process way longer. Please bear with me and continue to enjoy. Thanks! ~Sarah**

Chapter 6

Without meaning to, Rose had fallen asleep in the same position they had started out in. He didn't mind though, since it was the first time in a long time she actually looked peaceful. He gazed at her as she slept, wondering what he did to deserve such a beautiful and compassionate girl…scratch that. Woman. He didn't really consider her a girl anymore, not after all they had been through together. She had grown up in the past two years. She twitched and said something about the Tardis. He wondered what she was dreaming about but he didn't really get the chance to wonder long.

As if she had sensed him thinking about her, Rose opened her eyes and smiled up at him.

"Hello." She said with her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth. She reached up to pull his face down to her lips. The kiss was gentle at first, but it began to build as Rose climbed into his lap and tangled his fingers in his hair. They kissed for so long that they didn't notice someone had managed to teleport into the Tardis.

The woman with red hair looked around wildly and let out a small squeak when she noticed the two people on the ground kissing each other in a fiery passion. They pulled apart at the noise and stared in shock at her.

"What?" The Doctor gasped.

"Who are you?" The woman, whose name was Donna, eyed the two warily as they jumped up.

"But-" The Doctor said, looking around dumbfounded.

"Where am I?" The stranger gulped, shooting daggers at the Doctor with her eyes.

"Doctor, what j-just happened?" Rose stuttered, confused at the weirdness of the situation.

"What the hell is this place!?" Donna roared. She crossed her arms and glared at the Doctor.

"Y-You can't do that! I wasn't…we're in flight. That is- that is physically impossible! How did-?" The Doctor couldn't make heads or tails of how this strange person came to be on the Tardis, and neither could Rose.

"Tell me where I am! I demand you tell me _right_ now- where am I?" Donna, who was wearing a wedding dress, commanded.

Rose, seeking an opportunity to reach out, walked closer to the woman.

"You're inside the Tardis. It's okay. I'm Rose and this is the Doctor. We're not going to hurt you. Now, what's your name?" Rose asked, gently.

"I'm in the _what?_" The woman asked again, rudely ignoring Rose's question as exasperation leeched through her words.

"It's called the Tardis." The Doctor said while walking over towards the monitor on the console.

"That's not even a proper word. You're just saying things!" Donna shouted angrily. The Doctor sighed wearily and pinched the bridge of his nose. Rose walked over to him and reached for his hand.

"How did you get in here, anyways?" Rose asked her.

"What! Like you don't know. You two kidnapped me, that's how. Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh, my God, she finally got me back. This has Nerys written all over it." Donna accused.

"Who the hell is Nerys?" The Doctor snapped, obviously frustrated.

"Your best friend!" She sneered. She tapped her foot, obviously wanting to be somewhere else.

"Hang on a minute…Why are you dressed like that?" The Doctor said, pointing to her dress. Rose's eyes widened as she realized what the woman, who still hadn't said her name, was wearing.

"Doct-" Rose started, but was interrupted by Donna.

"I'm going ten pin bowling." The woman said, sarcastically. "What do you think, Dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle!" She screamed. The Doctor looked at her and Rose sheepishly and started fiddling with the knobs on the console while Donna continued to rant.

"I've been waiting for this all my life! I was just seconds away! And then you- I dunno, you drugged me or something!" The red-head seethed.

"We haven't done anything!" Rose cried, defensively. The Doctor dropped her hand to walk over to the console, with the intentions of running some tests.

"We're having the police on you. Me and my husband- as soon as he is my husband- we're gonna sue the living backside off of ya!" Donna declared. She looked around and when she finally noticed the Tardis doors, she rushed towards them.

"NO! Don't!" Rose yelled. The Doctor glanced up in time to see Donna throw open the doors. The woman's mouth fell open and Rose went to go stand next to her.

"You're in space. The Tardis is a spaceship." Rose said, softly.

"How am I breathing?" The woman asked fearfully. The Doctor ambled over to where Rose and Donna were standing. He put his hands around Rose's middle and pulled her close.

"The Tardis is protecting us." The Doctor said, glancing between her and Rose. The woman looked out at the supernova that the Tardis was still orbiting around.

"Who_ are_ you people?" Donna asked. She couldn't believe the day she was having.

"Like I said. I'm Rose and this is the Doctor. You?" Rose asked, once again. The woman considered her for a moment and finally looked at them again.

"I'm Donna." She said after a while. The Doctor and Rose smiled at her.

"Human?" The Doctor asked, earning a sharp look from Rose.

"Yeah. Is that optional?" Donna asked curiously.

"Well, it is for him…and maybe me." Rose said, feeling the Doctor tense behind her. She hadn't told him some things, some very pertinent things.

...FLASHBACK...

Rose hadn't realized she had fallen asleep until she woke up in a completely different place that she last was. She looked around the dome shaped room to see bright hues of shimmering golds and brilliant dark blues swirling around her like wisps of visible wind. The golds vaguely reminded her of something, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't place it. When a wisp of the light brushed her cheek, she thought she heard a singing, but it was gone in an instant. The blues, however, were very familiar, and she was glad to see the Tardis thoroughly represented throughout this strange dream.

"Of course I'm represented here, my child." a voice said, startling Rose and making her jump. She whirled around to find a woman sitting on a bench she hadn't noticed before.

"W-who are you?" She asked, although she thought she knew the answer, judging from what the woman had said. The woman, if she was a woman at all, was wearing a deep blue ball gown with golden trims and her eyes were swirling with the blues and the grays of the time vortex. Rose couldn't help but stare. Her eyes were as mesmerizing as the real thing, and Rose suspected it may have been.

"I believe you know the answer to that, young Wolf, but if you need confirmation, yes. I am indeed the Tardis. While this is not my true form, it is a form that I believe you will be the most receptive too. If I am to understand correctly, humans, however culturally experienced they are, tend to be biased towards their own race, as they have not had much contact with other species." The Tardis stopped for a moment at Rose's intense stare. Rose sighed and rubbed her temples. It was very overwhelming, even for a dream. It was only when she looked up again that she noticed the Tardis beckoning.

"Dear, do come sit. We have much to discuss."

...END OF FLASHBACK...

Rose had decided not to mention anything until after they had dealt with Donna. In fact, she wasn't even sure why she had said anything at all at that moment.

"You're aliens?" Donna inquired, shocked. Rose wasn't sure how to answer the question anymore.

"Me, yes. Her, up until 20 seconds ago, no…but it seems like we have some things to discuss." The Doctor said, and Rose could feel the tension radiating off of him.

He let go of her and leaned around them to shut the doors. It was freezing. 'How could Rose not notice that?' The Doctor thought. He needed to do some scans but he realized he was going to have to deal with Donna first.

"I don't understand." The Doctor said suddenly. "I understand everything, well except Rose right now, but I don't understand this. It's not possible for a human being to lock itself onto the Tardis and transport inside. It must be…"He trails off.

Suddenly he was all energy - he grabbed a weird looking medical device and used it to look into Donna's eyes, all the while muttering an endless flow of techno-babble. Donna looked at him in confusion and began to get angry.

"Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic—"

Donna slapped him hard across his face and he glared at her in shock. He looked to Rose, who was just as shocked, but trying not to laugh.

"What was _that_ for?" The Doctor cried indignantly. Donna decided she had had enough of Rose and the Doctor.

"GET ME TO THE CHURCH!" Donna yelled. She didn't understand a word of what he was saying and she couldn't have cared less if she had tried. She had more important things to do, like get married.

The Doctor rubbed his cheek and dropped the instruments he was using onto the jump seat as he made his way to the console.

"Fine! We don't want you here anyways. Right, Rose?" The Doctor glanced up at Rose and he noticed a faint glow around her. It was just barely there but it still worried him. Rose was deep in her thoughts and didn't look up until he waved his hand in her face. The glow had faded by then. Something was definitely up with her.

"Huh? Doctor, did you say something to me?" asked Rose. 'Interesting.' The Doctor thought to himself.

"Never mind, Rose. Right. Wedding…Donna, where is it?" The Doctor inquired.

"St. Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, Earth, the solar system!" Donna cried, wanting to make sure he got the right place.

"Okay…no need to make it so obvious." Rose laughed. Donna looked at her curiously after that.

"Like you were when I first got on this bloody ship?" Donna teased. "Don't think I didn't see you and him kissing like your life depended on it."

Both Rose and the Doctor turned bright red at her insinuations. 'Yes, we were kissing but it wasn't _that_ bad, was it? The Doctor thought to himself. He shook his head a few times to clear it, then he looked at Rose. Rose was staring down an her fingernails, without a care in the world, it seemed. But the Doctor knew her better than that. He knew she was just as embarrassed about Donna catching them when things were just about to get _really_ interesting as he was. She was just way better at hiding it.

The Doctor cleared his throat a little and realized thinking back to an hour ago was not a good idea. The Doctor may have already been clean, but he really could have used a cold shower right about then.

"What Rose and I do isn't really your concern, Donna." The Doctor said, with a frown on his face. Rose's eyebrow shot up at this and she sighed.

"You're being rude again, Doctor." She laughed. "But he is right Donna. It's really not, but all you need to know is that the Doctor and I have been through hell and back to get where we are now, so I'd say we deserve to have our happiness together." Rose said softly, looking at the Doctor when she said the last part.

"Oi! I get the message. You two love each other and are willing to die for the other, blah, blah, blah. Now, will you KINDLY take me to the church?" Donna exploded, looking at the Doctor.

The Doctor snapped his fingers, finally remembering what he was supposed to be doing.

"Oh, right! Chiswick it is, Donna."


	7. Chapter 7: Glitches in the Plan

**Author's Note: Sorry I didn't update yesterday :( Life gets a little hectic sometimes. Also sorry this chapter was posted so late in the day, but hey at least I posted right? On another note, I started watching Torchwood. I actually like it and some of the stuff from Series 4 makes more sense now :)**

Chapter 7

The Tardis landed with a jolt and Donna ran out the door. It was the right time period and the right planet, but completely unfamiliar surroundings. Rose and the Doctor stepped out of the Tardis, holding hands, as they looked around.

"Oi! Spaceman! I said 'Saint Mary's'. What sort of _Martian_ are you and where are we?" Donna said, as the Doctor stroked the Tardis.

"Ah, that would be his terrible driving skills!" Rose chuckled, lightly, with a teasing grin at him. Her face fell when she glanced over to him. She placed a hand on his back and looked up at him, concern etched on her face.

"Something's wrong with her." The Doctor finally said, and Donna rolled her eyes. "It's like she's… recalibrating!" The Doctor shouted as he ran inside to the Tardis console, knocking into Donna as he passed. Rose followed slowly, not wanting to get in his way.

"She's digesting." The Doctor called as Donna stood outside, gaping because she finally realized that the Tardis is bigger on the inside. The Doctor placed a hand on the rotor and stroked it.

"What have you eaten? What's wrong? Donna?" The Doctor called. "You've really gotta think. Is there anything that might've caused this? Anything you might have done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off in case your dangerous. I mean, have you…have you seen lights in the sky? Or…did you touch something? Something…something different? Something strange? Something made out of a sort of metal or…Who are you getting married to?" The Doctor sighed and flicked some levers on the console.

Rose glanced out the Tardis doors and saw Donna pacing, wildly. She looked to the Doctor and laughed.

"Someone's come to a sudden realization." Rose said, walking up to the Doctor. She placed her hands on his chest and reached up on tip toes to give him a light kiss. Rose walked to the door and looked at Donna, who was staring at the Tardis in utter bewilderment.

Donna began to run around the Tardis. When she was finished running, she popped her head back inside the Tardis as if to check whether she wasn't just imagining how big it was. Having confirmed this, she stumbled backwards, her hand on her mouth.

"Are you sure the man your marrying is human? Is he a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead?" The Doctor asked, not concerned about Donna at all.

He didn't get a reply, as Donna had run away. Rose looked at him for a moment then ran after Donna.

"ROSE!" The Doctor yelled. He didn't understand why she kept running off, after everything they had been through. Didn't she know that they worked better as a team?

"Donna! Donna, slow down!" Rose cried, falling into step next to her.

"Leave me alone! I just want to get married." Donna said, walking a little faster. Suddenly, the Doctor ran up behind them and grabbed their arms, pulling them to a stop.

"Come back to the Tardis." The Doctor pleaded. Rose regarded him as she sensed his utter lack of caring for Donna's feelings. Rose slapped his arm away.

"Rude, yet again!" Rose scolded.

"No way. That ship is too weird!" Donna said at the same time. Rose laughed and so did Donna, but the Doctor looked annoyed.

"It's bigger on the inside, that's all. There's no need to be freaked out by it." The Doctor sighed, wearily.

"Oh, that's all." Donna said sarcastically. She glanced down at her watch, anxiously. "Ten past three. I'm gonna miss it!" She all but shrieked.

"You can phone them. Tell them where you are." The Doctor said, thinking he was pointing out the obvious.

"Oh yeah, and how am I supposed to do that?" Donna said. She looked towards Rose, who was glaring at the Doctor incredulously.

"Haven't you got a mobile?" Asked the Doctor, which earned him a _look _from Rose.

"Doctor, I wouldn't say-" Rose tried to say, but was once again interrupted by Donna.

"I'm in my wedding dress. It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting, do you think I said "Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me _pockets_?!" Donna shouted at him.

"What's the name of the man your marrying?" The Doctor asked, curious all of a sudden, or so it seemed to Donna.

"Lance." She said with a heartfelt sigh.

"Good luck, Lance." The Doctor teased. Rose gasped slapped his arm again.

"That was ten times ruder than ever before, Doctor!" Rose chided him, yet again. Donna glared at him while Rose spoke but she decided he needed a piece of _her_ mind as well.

"Oi! No stupid Martian is gonna stop me from getting married. To hell with you!" Donna screamed at him. Rose giggled and the Doctor eyed both of them with a mix of disbelief and mock hurt.

"Donna…He's not from Mars!" Rose cracked up, holding her stomach and bending over from laughing so hard. By the time Rose had looked up again, she noticed she was alone. Donna and the Doctor were halfway down the street by then. Apparently, Donna had run off after she had said that the Doctor wasn't from Mars.

"Taxi!" Donna shouted, cross with both the Doctor and Rose. The Doctor joined her on the busy street. A taxi with his light on drove by and ignored them.

"Why'd he do that?" Rose asked, finally catching up with them. The Doctor waved at another taxi that was driving by, but it drove away as well.

"Look! There's another one!" Donna pointed, but for the third time, it drove away without even stopping.

"Do you have this effect on everyone?" The Doctor asked. Rose stifled a laugh and grabbed the Doctor's hand.

"They think I'm in fancy dress." Donna said as yet another taxi drove past, honking it's horn.

"Stay off the Scotch, darlin'." The taxi driver shouted.

"They think I'm drunk!" Donna shouted. That was rather cruel, Donna thought. She was supposed to be getting married and here she was, missing it.

Then, two boys leaned out of a passing car and yelled "You ain't fooling no one mate!"

"They thing I'm in drag! This is a complete nightmare!" Donna seethed, wanting to hit something. Rose felt terrible for her and then she had an idea.

"Hang on." She said to them. She put her fingers between her lips and whistled very loudly, causing them both to cover their ears. Rose grinned as a taxi pulled up and they all piled in quickly, the Doctor shooting her impressed looks.

"St. Mary's in Chiswick, just off of Hayden Road. And hurry up! It's an emergency! I'm getting married today." Donna said excitedly. The taxi driver looked at her like she was insane.

"That's gonna cost you. Double rates today." The driver said. Donna looks at the two of them wildly.

"Have either of you got any money?" She asks, hopefully. The Doctor patted his pockets and Rose pulled several things out of hers. The first was her wallet, which was empty. The next few things were some mints, some gum wrappers, and her cell phone. The last thing was a long rectangular stick that was made of a sort of metal.

"No money, and we can't use the credit stick. Hasn't exactly been invented yet." Rose said as she shot the Doctor a knowing glance. The driver heard their conversation and promptly kicked them out when he realized they didn't have any money.

"Here, Donna." Rose said, handing Donna her mobile. "Use it to call your family and tell them you're trying to find a way to get there. But don't mention the whole alien thing." She said trying not to laugh and failing miserably as a giggle escaped her lips. She looked towards the Doctor, who was busy Sonicing the cash point. Then she noticed a Christmas tree next to the newspaper stand they were by.

"Donna, is it Christmas?" She asked, looking towards the woman, who simply nodded.

"Christmas Eve, actually." Donna replied, focusing on Rose's mobile. Rose was confused as to why anyone would get married on that day. She thought about it for a few minutes but couldn't come up with a valid reason.

"Why are you getting married on Christmas Eve, anyways?" She asked Donna, who was becoming cross because her mother wasn't answering her phone. Donna sighed and hung up. She handed it back to Rose.

"Can't stand Christmas. I hate it. Honeymoon in Morocco. Sunshine-lovely." She replied after a long while. The Doctor was getting very impatient behind the man at the cash point and it was very evident from the way he shifted from foot to foot.

Donna, tired of waiting, walked up to a random woman and pleaded with her as she explained her situation.

"So if I could just borrow a tenner, I swear, I will find a way to pay you back." Donna said to the woman. Rose sighed and went up to Donna and the woman. She watched as the woman handed her the bill and then spoke to Donna.

"Donna, just wait for the Doctor. He's almost do-" Rose, suddenly stopping as she looks at the Doctor. He was looking at a group of Santa's that looked oddly familiar. And then it hit her. Those were the Santa's from last Christmas. He looked towards her and their eyes meet for a split second before looking for Donna, who had jumped into a taxi. To her horror, the driver was a robot Santa.

"Doctor! The driver!" She yelled, running towards him while pointing at the taxi Donna was in. Before she could get to him, a car came out of nowhere, striking the bottom half of Rose's leg. She felt something snap and cried out in pain as she stumbled on to the pavement. She looked at her leg and gasped at what she saw. It was twisted at an awkward angle that should have hurt badly, but it didn't. All of a sudden, the Doctor was there, holding her close and looking at her leg, which had started to glow with a golden light.

"Doctor, what's happening to me?" Rose asked fearfully. She felt the bone that was broken snap into place and watched as the golden light faded. She didn't understand what was happening to her, but she realized that a Santa had taken Donna.

"I'm not sure, Rose, but you seem to be all right now. We can do some scans or something after we help Donna, okay?" The Doctor asked pulling her to her feet. No one seemed to realize what had just happened and they ran to the Tardis before any questions could be asked.

"We have to get Donna. Rose, I'm going to fly this thing!" The Doctor said excitedly. "Literally fly it. We're going to fly right up to her taxi and save her, cause that's what we do."


	8. Chapter 8: Jump

**Authors Note: Seeing as it is really difficult for me to post everyday, I am thinking I will be reducing it to every other day, meaning I will be posting chapters at least 3-4 times a week. If the opportunity arises, I will post on any given day, just know it might be cut back a little bit.**

Chapter 8

The Doctor looked at Rose, who was tapping her leg. He could tell she was still really freaked out by the whole healing thing.

The Doctor flew the Tardis right up to Donna's Taxi, exactly like he said he would. They heard her screaming at the Santa, who was now unmasked, as he missed the turn for Chiswick.

The Doctor turned to Rose and pointed to a lever on the console.

"I need you to hold that for me while I try to get Donna out of the Taxi." He told her. She grasped the lever and the doors to the Tardis opened.

"DONNA! DONNA!" The Doctor called, trying to get her attention. Donna looked out the window at that exact moment and she looked relieved, but it didn't last long because the Santa had spotted him as well and began to speed up.

"Now, Rose!." The Doctor shouted to her. Rose pulled the lever down and the Tardis sped up, gaining on the taxi. When the Tardis had finally caught up to it, the Doctor began shouting to Donna, who was panicking.

"Open the door, Donna!" The Doctor shouted. Donna looked at him through the cab window, thoroughly confused.

"Do you what?" Donna asked, mishearing what he had shouted. Rose sighed in exasperation. They were getting no where because of that woman.

"OPEN THE DOOR!" The Doctor shouted, yet again. He looked at Rose, who was still holding the lever down, maintaining their speed.

"I _can't, _it's locked!" Donna said, banging on the windows. The Doctor pulled out his Sonic screwdriver and unlocked the door with it. Donna rolled the window down so she could speak with him properly.

"Santa's a robot!" Donna exclaimed, telling him like he didn't know that.

"Donna, open the door." The Doctor said evenly, not giving anything away. Donna looked at him in bewilderment.

"What for?!" Donna cried.

"You've got to jump!" The Doctor said as the Santa turned his head slightly to listen to their conversation.

"I'm not bleedin' flip jumping! I'm supposed to be getting married." Donna spoke, somewhat shrilly. The driver put his foot down on the gas again and the taxi overtook the Tardis again. The Doctor realized their was no way he was going to be able to push the Tardis any faster than it was going. He looked to Rose and was shocked by what he saw.

Rose's eyes were glowing and she was touching the Rotor in the middle of the console, coaxing the Tardis to go faster. All of a sudden, the Tardis went even faster and the Doctor struggled to maintain his balance.

Rose gasped as she regained control of her body. She wasn't sure why it would take control now, but she was not herself for a few moments. She glanced at the Doctor who was staring at her in shock.

"Doctor! I'm not really sure what just happened but we still have to save Donna, so you might want to do what you were going to do before whatever the hell that was happened." Rose said, snapping him out of his thoughts. She was right and the Doctor knew it. Although, he definitely needed to figure Rose out, sooner rather than later.

They caught up with Donna again, and she was desperately clinging to the door of the taxi, trying not to be thrown around the wildly jerking car.

"Listen to me, Donna! You have to jump!" The Doctor said without hesitation.

"I'm not jumping on the motorway! You might miss and then I'll get flattened!" Donna shrieked. The Doctor looked her dead in the eyes and molded his face into a serious expression, like a father mad at his rebellious teenage daughter.

"Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, is not good. Now, _come on!_" The Doctor said, grinding his teeth together. He was starting to get really frustrated with this woman.

"I'm in my wedding dress!" Donna shouted back to him.

"Yes, you look lovely. Now, jump!" The Doctor said, fuming. Donna looked at him fearfully, with tears in her eyes.

"I can't do it!" She said. Rose looked up from the monitor and thought of the exact words she would need to convince Donna to jump.

"Donna, trust him. Trust the Doctor. I trust him with my life, so there is no reason you shouldn't. Every time me an' him got into trouble, he always found us a way out. There is a way out of this one too. You just have to have faith. Now, JUMP!" Rose shouted. Apparently, that was all the encouragement Donna needed, because the next thing the Doctor knew, Donna was opening her door. She jumped out of the taxi and on to the Tardis, where she slammed into the Doctor.

The Tardis doors slammed shut behind them as the Doctor helped Donna to her feet. He beamed at Rose, who was grinning back at him. He couldn't believe what she'd said but he didn't doubt that was what she truly felt. Rose rushed around the console to give Donna a hug.

"Funny thing is, that for a spaceship, she doesn't do much flying. We'd better give her a couple of hours." The Doctor mused.

"Are you all right?" Rose asked as she pulled back to look at Donna, concerned for her.

"Doesn't matter." Donna said as she shrugged. Rose knew instantly that they had missed Donna's wedding.

"Donna…I'm so sorry." Rose wrapped her in another hug. "There's always the honeymoon though, right?" Rose asked, looking at the Doctor as she said this. He blushed a little bit at that.

"It's just a holiday now." Donna shrugged out of Rose's embrace as she said that. "I wish we had a time machine…we could go back and do it all over again." Donna sighed wistfully, glancing between Rose and the Doctor, watching them suspiciously as their expressions changed slightly.

"Yeah, but um…even if we did…we wouldn't be allowed to um…go back on someone's personal timeline…apparently." Rose covered quickly, reminded of the time she went to go see her father before he died. She peeked at the Doctor and she could tell he was thinking about it too.

Donna gave them one last suspicious glance before she went to go sit on the roof of the building they had landed on. The Doctor sat down next to Donna and draped his jacket over her shoulders. Rose sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. He turned his face to kiss her forehead gently. She reached for his hand and he gave it to her willingly. The Doctor marveled at how soft her hands were, even after all of the traveling. They were the smoothest things he had ever felt, and they belonged to the woman he loved. How perfect.

"God, this wouldn't fit a rat!" Donna exclaimed, pulling the Doctor's jacket around her a little tighter. The Doctor held out a ring to her.

"You'd better put this on." He told her.

"Oh, joy! Rub it in why don't you?" Donna said, taking the ring from him. The Doctor looked at her, confused.

"It's a biodamper. It should hide you from the Santa's, seeing as they can trace you." He motioned for the ring and took her hand. "With this ring, I thee biodamp." The Doctor said, sliding the ring onto Donna's finger. Rose looked on with a vague disinterest, still worried about losing control earlier. She had told the Doctor she didn't know what happened, but that wasn't true. She just needed some time to think through what all of this meant. Rose chuckled lightly as she heard Donna again.

"For better or for worse." Donna giggled. Then she remembered that she wanted to ask about the Santa's. "So, come on then. What are Robot Santa's for?"

"Ah, your basic robo-scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. We met them last Christmas." Rose said before the Doctor could get a word in, surprising everyone, even herself. 'Where did that come from?' Rose thought.

"Why, what happened then?" Donna asked, a stupid look crossing her face. The Doctor gaped at her. Then he turned to Rose and gaped at her as well.

"... Great big spaceship? Hovering over London? You didn't notice?" He finally asked. Donna just shrugged.

"I had a bit of a hangover." Donna said, reminiscing about the night before, when she had gotten tipsy…or something a little bit stronger than that. The Doctor scanned the landscape as if he were looking for something.

"Rose and I spent Christmas just over there." He said pointing towards the Powell estate, halfway across the city. "With…with her family." He finished, looking at Rose, who was blinking rapidly, trying not to cry. It still hurt so much. The Doctor squeezed her hand and she gazed into his eyes. Before she knew it, the tears had spilled over, leaving Donna very confused, but Donna didn't push it. It was obviously a vey sensitive subject.

"They're all gone now." Rose said, shakily, looking towards the estates. "Trapped in a parallel world thanks to the Daleks and Cybermen." Rose said, not a trace of bitterness in her voice, only sadness. She wiped her tears and glanced at Donna, who unexpectedly got up to give Rose a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Rose." Donna said sympathetically. The Doctor glanced at Rose and took her hands once more.

"I'm fine, now. I think so, anyways. It just hits me sometimes. Out of the blue, just like that. Kinda like how my mum slapped you that time, Doctor. That came out of nowhere as well." Rose giggled, standing and pulling the Doctor with her as well.

The Doctor shifted from foot to foot and grew red in embarrassment as he remembered that day. He rubbed his cheek and for a moment, it was as if he could feel the echo of the slap.

"Right! Moving on. So, what do a bunch of robots camouflaged as Santa want with you, Donna? And how did you get into the Tardis? I still haven't figured that out yet. What's your job?" He asked Donna.

"I'm a secretary." Donna replied. The Doctor walked around Donna, appraising her as if he might suddenly see something. He picked up the Sonic and began to scan her.

"It's weird, I mean - you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important..." The Doctor said, rudely. Donna turned to Rose while still glaring at the Doctor.

"Hey, Rose. Have you ever just punched him in the face?" She asked sarcastically, whacking the screwdriver away. "Quit bleeping me!" Donna shouted.

Rose stifled a laugh. Nobody they ever met could describe the sound the Sonic made. It wasn't a buzz, or a beep, or even a whistle-type noise. It was impossible to describe.

"What kind of secretary?" Rose asked tentatively, not wanting to set her off again.

"I'm at H.C. Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping." Donna said, telling them how Lance brought her coffee every morning for six months. "Lance is the head of HR- he doesn't need to bother with me. But he's nice _and_ he's funny. And it turns out he thought everyone else was snotty too, just like I did. So that's how it started, me an' him. One cup of coffee on my first day. That was it." Donna said, finishing her story.

"Six months is a bit quick to get married." The Doctor commented. Donna blinked at him, obviously trying to come up with something that wouldn't make her seem too hasty.

"Well, he…um…he insisted!" Donna said, her eyes shifting between Rose and the Doctor quickly. Both of them could tell it was a lie but they didn't push it.

"What does H.C. Clements do?" The Doctor asked after a little time had passed, trying to give Donna the chance to gather her wits.

"Oh, security systems, you know... entry codes, ID cards - that sort of thing." Donna told him, still clutching his coat. It was a bit windy on the roof top. "If you ask me, its just a posh name for 'locksmiths'." Donna concluded.

"Keys…"The Doctor mused. He glanced at Rose to see if she had any ideas, but she looked just as puzzled. Donna pulled him out of his thoughts as she handed his jacket back to him.

"Come on, then. It's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is going to be a shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian boy." She said seriously. The Doctor and Rose both rolled their eyes at the same time and Rose giggled. There was no getting through to this woman.

"Yeah, I'm not from Mars." The Doctor tried one more time.

"Oh and he's definitely not a boy, although he does sometimes act like one. He is positively better than that. Spend some more time with him and you'll come to see that." Rose added, suggestively. Donna sighed and started walking towards the Tardis. Rose and the Doctor followed her quickly, Donna's determination to get back infecting them as well. They both wanted her gone, Rose, so that she and the Doctor could continue what they had started when Donna had first showed up, and the Doctor, so he could figure out what was going on with Rose and how she knew about it. Donna turned towards them and sighed sadly.

"Whatever, seeing as it doesn't really matter. Oh, I had this great big reception planned. Everyone's gonna be heartbroken."

**Standard Disclaimer (I don't own Doctor Who and I don't make money off of ****this story)**

**I think I will be splitting this episode up into three more chapters :P**


	9. Chapter 9: Family Ties

**Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews everyone. I appreciate it. I definitely took your reviews into consideration when writing this chapter. I tried to keep it to one person's POV (until the chapter break, you'll see) like you advised and I also went off episode, so it's somewhat different than the episode actually was. I tried to incorporate Rose into the story a little more sympathetically, so she's not just saying random lines anymore. Enjoy and don't forget to review :D**

Chapter 9

Donna, Rose, and the Doctor walked into the reception hall to see everyone dancing and laughing. Donna looked around in utter shock. She was missing and here her family and friends were, having a fantastic time, not even looking for her.

She thought they all would have been frantically searching for her, or at the very least, worrying about her. Not this. Never in a million years did Donna expect everyone to be so happy she wasn't there. Nobody even noticed that she had finally shown up until she cleared her throat. Everyone gasped at her sudden reappearance. Donna noticed, that her "friend" Nerys was dancing with Lance. That pissed Donna off to no end. As soon as Donna was indisposed, Nerys always swept in to take what belonged to Donna. It had always been that way between them. For as long as Donna could remember.

Lance stepped forward and gulped loudly. His eyes shifted from her to the ground and back nervously. He was in for it and he knew it. There was no way Donna was going to let this go, not without payback of some form.

"YOU HAD THE RECEPTION WITHOUT ME?!" Donna roared. She turned towards Rose and the Doctor and noticed they were staring at everyone in disbelief. Donna was extremely glad that they, at least, were on her side. Lance walked up, even closer to Donna than he was before. He placed his hands on her arms and looked down at her apologetically.

"What happened to you, Donna?" Lance asked, concern in his eyes. Donna didn't want that though. She wanted to know why nobody even cared enough to look for her. She shrugged his hands off her arms and backed up a little.

"I can't believe you had the reception without me. Of all the selfish things to do…"Donna trailed off. Suddenly, she remembered that Rose and the Doctor had yet to be introduced, but she didn't have to do anything because the Doctor strode forward, pulling Rose with him.

"Hello! I'm the Doctor and this beautiful woman beside me is Rose." He said, causing Rose to blush.

"Hi." She said, somewhat timidly, which was odd for Rose. She was usually so good at meeting new people, Donna thought. Something was obviously wrong with Rose, but there were other pressing matters to deal with. Donna looked at them, grateful for their support in the matter though.

"They had the reception without me." Donna said sadly. She shook her head when Lance tried to touch her again. Then, as if it wasn't bad enough already, Nerys stepped forward, a slight sneer on her face.

"It was all paid for. Why not?" She said, unkindly. Donna was about ready to hit her. She was just complicating the whole situation unnecessarily.

"Thank you, Nerys! Your opinion is _completely_ welcome right now." Donna said sarcastically. She turned towards her mother.

"Why in bloody hell did you have the reception without me?" She asked her mother, glaring at her. Her mother, Sylvia, didn't even flinch. Something told Donna that she expected nothing less from her daughter.

"We got your silly little message in the end. 'I'm on Earth.' Wanna tell me what that was about?" Sylvia questioned her, disapproval in her tone. Donna huffed and turned her back on them once more, to look at Rose and the Doctor.

"My family is impossible. They're rude, inconsiderate, and awful people." She said, loudly enough for everyone in the room to here, trying to make a point. "I've had the worst day of my life and nobody even cares!" Donna cried, carefully laying the groundwork necessary to her plan to get everyone off her back. She smiled at them as the people behind her protested and started asking questions all at once.

She turned around, faking being overwhelmed. Donna's plan was working perfectly. Her gaze darted all around the room, looking at all of the people. Suddenly, she burst into tears and sobbed deceptively. It got the exact reaction she was hoping for. Everyone stopped speaking all at once and Lance pulled her into his arms, murmuring sweet reassurances in her ear.

She turned into him so she could see Rose and gave her a wink. She heard Rose laugh and just barely heard her say to the Doctor, "I might have to try that. She's pretty good." The Doctor looked confused until Rose pulled him in closer to tell him it was all an act. Donna watched as his eyes went wide and he glanced at her, amusement on his face. It had all worked perfectly, and soon Donna was dancing with Lance as the party continued where it had left off.

…...

Rose and the Doctor were still standing by the door when everyone went to go dance. He glanced at Rose and detected a small amount of sorrow in her eyes. He really hoped it wasn't something he had done or said, but he never knew with Rose.

The Doctor took her hand in his and rubbed circular patterns on it with his thumb. Rose glanced at him but only for a moment before her eyes returned to the festivities.

"Are you gonna tell me what's wrong?" The Doctor sighed, wishing he knew. She was acting very strange lately, and it wasn't just the Bad Wolf incident causing it. Instead of meeting his concerned gaze, her eyes just dropped to the floor. He grabbed Rose's chin and tugged it gently upwards, shocked to see tears streaming down her face.

"Rose? Why are you crying? I can't help you unless you tell me what's wrong." The Doctor murmured gently, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. She buried her face in his jacket and just cried quietly for a few minutes. Rose looked up eventually and he gave her the most loving smile he could manage. She sighed and pulled back a little.

"The last wedding I went to was with my parents'. Remember when you took me to see my dad? I was just thinking about the fact that I'll never get to see my mum and Pete get married and they'll never see me get married. I'll never get to meet my brothers and sisters either. I thought I had control over it, but seeing Donna's family and friends here at the wedding reminded me I don't have anyone left here but you. I'm most definitely okay with having you, though, so don't go anywhere. Sometimes I wish there was someone else to talk with, like another woman." At that, she chuckled, which seemed like a good sign to him. "Sorry, Doctor, but there are just some things that a man would not understand, alien or not." She giggled, the last of her tears drying.

The Doctor finally realized that the reason she was sad had less to do with him and the wedding they were at but more to do with the loss of her family and the future. He knew the only way to help was to just be there for her. He pulled her into his arms again and rested his chin on her head. It was the only thing he could think of that would help her feel less alone.

She surprised him by pulling his head down to her lips. He kissed her gently, not wanting to overwhelm her, but she had other ideas. The kiss became frantic as her hands tangled in his hair and he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her mouth opened and his tongue slid in to do a dance with hers. He heard someone clear their throat behind him and he pulled away as Rose gasped for air. The Doctor turned to see Donna leaning against Lance.

"Seriously, again? The first time I was okay with it because I was confused as to where I was, but this is my wedding, for crying out loud!" Donna scolded them. "I just wanted to let you know that Lance and I have decided to cut the cake, but if you'd rather be doing something else-" She stopped suddenly, looking at Rose. "Have you been crying?" She asked her.

"Yeah, but it's not what you think. The Doctor didn't do anything wrong." Rose said when Donna turned towards the Doctor. "I was just reminded of my parents' weddings and I guess I just lost it for a few moments." Rose buried her face in the Doctor's chest when she was finished. Lance looked confused.

"What do you mean, 'Reminded of your parents' wedding'? How long ago did they get married?" He asked. The Doctor sighed but didn't tell Lance to drop it because he knew Rose would explain anyway.

"About 20 years ago." Rose finally said, turning her head to answer Lance, who looked more puzzled than ever. "I can't really explain too well because it would be bad to reveal to much, but I was there. Both in my 6 month old body and my 19 year old body." She turned her face into the Doctor's coat again and he wrapped his arms around her again, grateful she didn't really mention the time travel thing.

Donna laughed at Lance's confusion and pulled him away to the dance floor again. After they were out of earshot, the Doctor asked if she wanted to continue what they had started earlier but she shook her head no, not wanting to cause a scene. Oh well, he thought. There will always be time for that later.

"Can I see your phone, Rose?" The Doctor asked. She pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"Who are you gonna call on it? There's no one to call anyways, not anymore." Rose said, a dark look in her eyes. He brought up the internet and looked up H.C. Clements, Sonicing it to make it go to the page he was looking for. What he found did surprise him a bit though. He lowered the screen to show Rose.

"Sole property of Torchwood." Rose read aloud, shocked. The Doctor frowned and handed the phone back to Rose. He really didn't want to know why Torchwood owned the business but he thought it might have something to do with the whole 'maker of keys' theme they had going on. He looked around and spotted the man who had filmed the wedding. The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her to the man.

After speaking with the man about the video and realizing that there were Huon Particles within Donna, Rose and the Doctor ran to find Donna, only to see the Robot Santas approaching the windows and doors of the reception hall. This is not good, he thought.

"Donna! Donna, they've found you!." He shouted across the room to Donna. He felt bad because he said she was safe, but then again, he wasn't always right. As if on cue, Donna pointed out his flaw.

"I thought you said I was safe!" She yelled back, making her way over to where he and Rose were standing.

"The biodamper doesn't work. We need to get everyone out of here." He looked around frantically but didn't see a door where there wasn't a Santa. He wanted to save everyone but if it came down to it, he would find a way to save Rose and Donna first. He looked at Rose then, only to see her staring at something intently.

"Christmas trees…" She murmured quietly, as if trying to place them. Then she looked up at him in alarm. "Doctor! The Christmas trees!" She practically shouted. He was panicked at her vehemence but confused as to their significance.

"What about the Christmas trees?" He asked her, ignoring his inner pleas to drag her out of the room to safety.

"They kill! Remember last Christmas? You woke up just in time to stop the one in my _mum's_ flat." She cringed at the word 'mum' but had the same tone of fear in her voice. He rubbed her arm soothingly as he tried to remember. He remembered waking up and Sonicing something but he couldn't remember what it was. The regeneration was still taking place at that time so he only remembered certain bits. Whatever it was, it was apparently dangerous enough to make Rose fear for everyone's safety.

"Get away from the trees! Everyone, get away from them, now!" He cried pulling Donna's mother away from the one they were by. Sylvia huffed and struggled out of his grip.

"For God's sake! The man's an idiot! What harm is a Christmas tree gonna do?" She yelled, still trying to get away from him. He was getting annoyed by this woman. At least he could tell where Donna got it now. Suddenly, the ornaments on the tree came off and floated above everyone's heads. The Doctor let go of Sylvia's arm and shuffled backwards to reach for Rose, keeping his eyes on the shiny balls.

Everyone was whispering in delight at the scene of the balls hanging in midair, that is to say, until they started to dive bomb and explode before hitting the ground.


	10. Chapter 10: A Time and a Place

**Author's Note: You guys can not believe how sorry I am for not updating on a regular schedule. I don't really have an excuse other than my writer's block (I barely got this one done) but I am going to try to update more regularly. No promises though. **

Chapter 10

Rose flinched as one of the ornaments exploded to her left. People all around her were screaming and running in several different directions. Out of all the events of the day, before the ornaments began to rain down, the one thing Rose was glad she didn't have to deal with were Christmas trees, but she really should have known better. Rose mentally kicked herself for not expecting anything and everything to go wrong. She grabbed both the Doctor's and Donna's hands and pulled them underneath a table.

"Right, exploding balls of shininess. We need to come up with a sort of plan." Rose said, wringing her hands, trying to come up with something. Inspiration hit her and she looked to the Doctor who was looking pretty stumped himself. She cringed as more ornaments exploded.

"Doctor, can you use the Sonic to disable them?" Rose asked, hoping it was possible. Hell, maybe it could even stop the Santa's, but she wasn't going to hold out for that. The Doctor's eyes lit up and he leaned forward to kiss Rose's forehead.

"Rose Tyler, you are brilliant!" He said as he scurried out from underneath the table. She tried not to dwell on the fact that those were his exact words and actions on Satellite 5, but it was hard. She may have forgiven him for that, but it still hurt to think about. Regardless, Rose scooted closer to the end of the table and pulled the cloth back to watch him. When he made it to the sound booth, he turned back towards the table and flashed her a comforting smile. She knew and he knew that they were worried for each other, but the world needed saving, yet again, so they pushed it aside and got to work. The Doctor walked over to the microphone and picked it up.

"Oi! Santas! A word of advice. If you're going to attack a man with a Sonic Screwdriver, and not to mention, a bloody brilliant…partner, and I say that because I'm not really sure what to call her cause she's so much more than a companion, then maybe you shouldn't let him near the sound system!"

Rose watched as he jammed the screwdriver into the speaker and switched it on. The sound emitted was a horrible screeching noise that forced her to cover hear ears. She was going to kill him for that later, even if it did stop the Santas, which were now just piles of machinery that were twisted and mangled. By then, the ornaments had stopped exploding and people started coming out of their shelters.

The Doctor walked back to the table and pulled both Rose and Donna out from underneath the table. He pulled Rose into his arms and sighed quietly. Rose didn't really have time to figure out what was going on in his head, but she was glad for the comfort he gave after the day she had. She didn't think the day could get any longer, but surprisingly enough, it did.

People started to shout at the Doctor, saying that he had caused all of it, or that there were people who were hurt and needed treatment. It didn't matter how many times he tried to tell them that he wasn't that kind of doctor or that it wasn't his fault. Nobody would shut up long enough to listen to him. Rose was getting really tired of it all, and it was only when Sylvia marched towards him with the intent of slapping him, that she reacted.

"The next person that says a single thing pertaining to what just happened is going to get a roundhouse kick to their backside! NOW SHUT UP AND LISTEN ALREADY!" Rose yelled, surprising everyone, even Donna, who had been oddly quiet the whole time.

"Thank you! And you!" She said, pointing at Sylvia. "The only people who get to slap him are me and my…my mother! Got it?" Sylvia nodded, swallowing audibly. "That's what I thought. Now, the Doctor did not cause any of this. In fact he's trying to help so quit laying into him because you're scared and confused. And that's another thing! He's not the kind of doctor that treats injuries. He's more like a psychologist or psychiatrist, except sometimes he's the one that needs help." She finished, earning a look from the Doctor, who looked impressed but with an expression of mock hurt on his face at the mention of his sanity. He walked over to the pile of broken robots and pulled out a warped heap of metal.

"Look! A remote control for the ornaments, but a second remote for the Santas! They're not scavengers anymore. Someone's taken possession." He picked up an unbroken ornament and threw it to Donna, who screeched and immediately threw it to an abandoned corner of the room. The look she gave him was enough to make Rose cringe. The Doctor just smiled and gestured to the pile of metal.

"They're not active now." He said in an exasperated tone when here glare didn't waver. "And besides, think of the bigger picture! There's still a signal. Come along, you two. We've got to find out who wants you so much, Donna." Rose sighed as the Doctor pulled her along. She had a feeling she wasn't going to catch a break anytime soon.

…...

The Doctor was extremely close to snapping at Lance. All the man successfully managed to do was annoy him. Lance was a blithering idiot. He didn't know what H.C. Clements was working on. He didn't know if anything top secret was going on. And he didn't even know that there was another floor beneath them. It was apparently, not on the building plans. What did Donna see in him? The only thing stopping the Doctor from going off on him was Rose. Every time he opened his mouth to say something rude to Lance, Rose would give him a look. He was currently in the middle of pouting in front of everyone else as they walked down the long corridor underneath the basement.

"If you don't stop pouting like that, then there's no way anything is gonna happen once we get this mess sorted out and get back to the Tardis." Rose whispered as she came up behind him. He shivered and turned slightly so he could wrap his arms around her waist as they continued walking. He knew what she was talking about and while he couldn't wait for the situation to be resolved, he couldn't afford to let himself get distracted.

"Well, good, cause I'm done. And by the way, I can't wait." He said, leaning down to her ear. "It's gonna be…fantastic." The Doctor nipped her ear then and she squealed in response. He loved that noise, but apparently, Donna and Lance did not.

"Will you two get a move on? There's a time and a place. We're trying to save me, remember? You guys can have all the time you want later." Donna snorted indignantly. The Doctor didn't care if there was a time and a place but Donna did have a point. He looked at Rose regretfully and followed Donna and Lance as they walked past, tugging her along. They came upon a group of two wheeled transportation devices. The Doctor grinned manically at Rose and laughed. This was gonna be fun.


	11. Chapter 11: Reassurance

**Author's Note: HEYYYYY, Wassup? *Checks ****Calendar* Ohhhh...Oooppps. Sorry for such a long update wait time. I kept putting off updating for a while. Apparently I procrastinate a lot! But anyways, here's the next chapter, and I am proud to say, it's my longest one yet! Hopefully I can get Chapters 12 and 13 up soon and for those of you who haven't seen it yet, you might want to go back and check Chapter 6. I changed it to include a part of Rose's dream. I'm building suspense that way I can do the big reveal after I finish this arc with the Racnoss. Hopefully, I can move on to Rose's explanation soon, cause I have a really good story arc planned. Enjoy and don't forget to review :D**

Chapter 11

Lance trailed behind Donna, Rose, and the man they called 'the Doctor' on his own stupid little transport. Apparently, the Doctor was some sort of genius. How stupid he must be if he can't figure out how close to discovering what was really going on right under his nose. Lance couldn't wait to finally be rid of Donna and her annoying family for good. He couldn't believe he had been dumb enough to even consider marrying Donna, even if it was to make sure the Huon particles were safe. He could have cared less about Donna. The Doctor was leading them right into the perfect trap without even knowing it. This was all going to be over tonight, and Lance couldn't have been happier.

…... Rose laughed as the Doctor hopped down from the ladder he had climbed up to check their whereabouts. Apparently, they were underneath the Thames flood barrier.

"You act like there has never been a secret base hidden underneath a major landmark before. Do you not remember the London Eye?" Rose asked the Doctor while doubling over, clutching her sides, which were aching from the laughter. She looked up to see the Doctor chuckling, Donna looking very confused, and Lance outright glaring at her. 'Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.' Rose thought. She didn't understand what his problem was anyways. It wasn't like it was him who was in danger. Donna didn't seem to mind once the Doctor had explained the joke. She had even laughed with Rose once she understood. As far as Rose was concerned, she didn't particularly care about Lance's thoughts on the issue. He was a bit of a snob anyways.

After wandering through the hallway a bit longer, Rose noticed that Lance was fidgeting and looking around nervously. She began to get the feeling he was waiting for something, but she couldn't be sure.

"AHA!" The Doctor shouted, startling everyone. Rose saw a set of doors that said "Personnel Only". She snickered and glanced at the Doctor, who winked, while Donna and Lance looked at her quizzically.

"A sign that says "Personnel Only" never deters us from entering somewhere. Actually, it pretty much encourages us to ignore it. It's all about the thrills with the Doctor." Rose giggled as she hip checked him while walking through the door he was holding open. He grabbed her hip before she got past though, and he managed to make sure there was nobody in the room. She loved that he cared enough to check, but she was sure he would do it for any companion. Although, he might not have grabbed their hip and squeezed it like he did to hers. She kissed his cheek before moving forward, telling him thank you without words.

…...

The kiss that Rose had placed on the Doctor's cheek spoke volumes, even to Donna, who wished someone would be that way with her. The way the Doctor's eyes lit up whenever Rose was around was pretty great too. If she had a word for the nature of their relationship, it would be either fairytale romance or true love. While most people viewed Donna as a hard woman, she really was a sucker for romance, trying to replace the one she didn't have. Lance was great, but she didn't really feel like his whole heart was in it. He was holding back, she was almost sure of it, but there wasn't anything she could do about it, so she let it be.

She walked into the room and found that it was a laboratory of some sort. She watched as Rose and the Doctor went their separate ways into the room, each to explore some area of the lab. The Doctor went over to a cylinder filled with a strange liquid surrounded by different knobs. Rose was looking at lab results but it didn't seem to be anything important because she left them where they were. Donna wandered over to where the Doctor was, only to be joined by Rose a few seconds later. Lance still stood by the door, looking unsure if he should go in or not.

"Get over here, you big lump!" Donna scolded, trying to get him to stay. She thought he looked nervous again, but she decided he was just overwhelmed.

"So what's this, Doctor?" Donna asked, ending his name with an 'ah'. The Doctor looked up to her and grinned, grateful that someone asked.

"This is a particle extrusion machine. Basically, you put a compound of some sort into it, and it radically compresses that complex compound into a group of subatomic particles that can then be used in some scientifically…" He trailed off as he realized he had lost everybody again. He sighed and looked to Rose for help, who giggled and grabbed his hand.

"Basically, he means that it takes some stuff, and turns it into less complicated stuff that can be used in all sorts of experiments, etc." Rose said, clarifying things.

"Thank you, Rose. But anyways, the important thing about this particle extrusion machine is that someone has been using it to manufacture Huon particles, which is what is inside Donna. It shouldn't even be possible to make them. My people got rid of them a long time ago." The Doctor sighed, and ran his hands through his hair agitatedly. Rose put her head on his shoulder and he calmed down instantly. Donna didn't understand why she couldn't have that. It seemed to happen to everyone but her and she couldn't help but wonder why.

…...

Rose glanced at Donna and saw an innate sadness in her eyes. She took her head off of the Doctor's shoulders and with her eyes, told him to give her a moment. She moved around the table and latched onto Donna's arm gently, pulling her away from the men so they could talk.

"What's wrong Donna? I know you missed your wedding and that your day has been crazy, but is that what's really bothering you?" Rose asked her, trying not to pry. Donna opened her mouth to say something but when nothing came out, she shut it again quickly. She tried again and the same thing happened. When she opened her mouth for a third and final time, Donna's face crumpled and she turned, taking Rose with her, so that Lance and the Doctor wouldn't see. Rose placed an arm around Donna's shoulders and steered her further out of earshot so Donna could talk. By the time Rose stopped her, Donna was shaking and tears were streaming down her face.

"R-rose! I think you were right about me getting married a bit too soon earlier. I don't even think that Lance wanted to get married. I see you with the Doctor and how you two behave and I can't help compare that to Lance and I's relationship. He doesn't hardly ever do half the things I see the Doctor do with you and he's human! An alien knows how to love better than a human! Granted, that sounds kind of biased but how can an alien love a human or not so human whatever you are, Rose, more than a human can love another human?" she cried and Rose gathered her and hugged her tight.

"Donna…I don't have all the answers. I'm sure that Lance will come around eventually, and if he doesn't, then maybe he isn't the right person for you. I'll tell you something though. I had only had two boyfriends before I started travelling with the Doctor. The first, Jimmy Stone, was a piece of garbage, no good for nothing, loser. He was twenty years old and I was sixteen. He promised that he could make it big in music, so I dropped out of school to live with him ,before I could get my A-levels. Our relationship lasted five months and when it ended, I was left it tears and in debt. Then I dated Mickey, who was great, but he was always more of a best friend or a brother to me. I grew up with him and he was there for me, but once the Doctor came, I couldn't really stay with him. There was so much to see and so many people to save that I didn't want to stay. I didn't want to stay home to live the same old boring life day after day." Rose took a breath and continued, not knowing that the Doctor could hear everything she said. "I've known the Doctor for a little over two years, and we've been through so many ups and downs. We know each other like the back of our hands. We didn't just start off in a relationship. We have a great friendship as a base. Maybe if you and Lance knew each other a little better, then maybe both of you would be more comfortable. I don't know why you rushed into marriage, but for whatever reason, I think it's good that it didn't happen today. You two definitely need some time to think." She finished, looking at Donna, who was wiping the tears off her face. She smiled softly at Rose and pulled her in for a fierce hug.

"Thank you so much, Rose. I can't tell you how much that helped. Just answer me two questions and then we can go back over, okay?" Donna asked tentatively. Rose was slightly apprehensive as to what these questions might be, but she was ready for them.

"Firstly, do you think Lance is even worth it?" Donna asked, somewhat sheepishly. Rose sighed and pushed her hair back behind her ear.

"That depends…" Rose answered slowly. Donna looked exasperated but before she could interrupt, Rose continued. "Do you mean in the sense that he will come around, or in the sense that he will be one-hundred percent honest, because I think he's hiding something or waiting for it at the very least."

"Well I meant it in the first way, but I am definitely picking up on what you're saying about the second way. I don't know. Do you think I should ask him?" Donna questioned nervously.

"That's up to you, but we really should be getting back. Oh! Before I forget, what was your second question?" Rose asked quickly, while glancing at the Doctor, who was looking at Lance critically.

"Do you love him?" Rose's head snapped to Donna at that moment and before she had even considered the question, her response came quickly.

"Yes. I've always loved him. From the very first 'run'." Rose gazed at the Doctor again and was surprised to see him looking back at her, the most amazing expression on his face. It was somewhere between star struck and relieved. It was almost as if he had heard, but Rose didn't think he did. If Lance didn't hear Donna crying, then there was no way they heard….'Of course! Superior biology! Why do I always forget about that?' Rose thought to herself. She hoped he felt the same, and from his expression, it wasn't hard to guess. She turned to Donna, who was busy trying to make herself look presentable, when suddenly, the Doctor came up and told them that they should really be getting back soon. He looked at Rose and beamed, winking in the process. He confirmed what Rose had thought about him overhearing and she reached up to kiss him. She leaned up to his ear and placed her hands over his hearts.

"I know you overheard what I said. Before you even begin to doubt it, yes. I do love you, very much so." She whispered, not wanting Donna to hear, knowing she was still sad. She dragged him back over to the particle extrusion machine before he had a chance to say anything. Donna comes back over as well and although Lance asked her is she was alright, it didn't seem sincere. The Doctor fiddled with the knobs on the cylinder and all of a sudden, Donna began to glow. Everyone was astonished but the Doctor was completely fascinated. He kept turning it on and off, making Donna angry. After about the fifth time, Donna slapped him again.

"What did I do this time!" the Doctor cried. 'Like he doesn't know!' Rose thought.

"Are you enjoying this?" Donna asked sternly. "Just tell me, are these particles dangerous? Am I safe?"

The Doctor exchanges a nervous glance with Rose before emitting a very small "yes".

"Then why did your people get rid of them, huh?" Donna practically shouts. Everyone winces and Lance's eyes widen.

"Because they were deadly." The Doctor says, again in a small voice.

"Oh my god." Donna looked a little woozy so Rose grabbed a chair and sat Donna in it. She looked at the Doctor then and sees the oh so familiar glint of determination she loves so much.

"I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I don't want to lose anyone else." The Doctor says, looking at Rose. She knew he was thinking about her family at that moment.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and Rose cringed as a scratchy voice filled the air.

"Oh, she is long since lost." The voice said as the wall behind Donna slid up and a large hole was revealed. "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken."

Lance chose that moment to run away and the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand as a group of robots surrounded them. He pushed Rose and Donna behind him, but still held on to Rose's hand.

"How far down does that hole go down?" The Doctor asked the voice.

"Down and down, all the way to the center of the earth. " came the scratchy reply. Rose squeezed the Doctor's hand, but it didn't escape the creature's notice.

"Oh, what a sweet couple!" The voice teased maliciously. It was getting rather irritating to not know who was speaking to them, Rose thought.

"Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?" The Doctor shouted to the creature.

The creature just laughed cruelly.

"High in the sky. Floating so high on Christmas night."

The Doctor had had enough. He wanted to know who this person was and what they wanted with Donna. He looked to Rose and she nodded, okay with any plan he could come up with.

"I didn't come all this way to talk to an intercom. C'mon! Lets have a look at you!" He shouted towards the ceiling. The creature hissed in contempt.

"And who are you to make such demands!", the scratchiness becoming more prominent.

Rose smirked as she knew what was coming next. Donna smiled at her and together they squeezed the Doctor's hands for support.

"I'm the Doctor."


End file.
